Bitter Ends and Truthful Beginnings
by AngelLove6392
Summary: Mistakes become wrongs only when they're not fixed. Fixing them takes courage because the truth hurts. The truth hurts feelings and friendships, but the truth also heals broken hearts and tormented souls...
1. Truths and Tears

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers, Saban does, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here wishing I had a morpher too. Please read and review! Enjoy!

The sun beamed brightly down, its warmth comforting rather then scalding, gentle breezes rustling the tree leaves; a sharp contrast to the violent turmoil in the girl's chocolate brown pools. Shiny, long, black tresses blew around her, gently ruffled in all directions. Her intelligent eyes stared blankly out into the depthless sea, its crashing waves a mirror to her inner soul. People passed by without a second glance, thanks to the residue of Zordon's energy wave that scrambled people's memories. Nobody knew that the petit Asian curled vulnerably on the stone bench was the one and only Pink Space Ranger.

In her pink spaghetti-strap tank-top, white hoodie, and canvas khakis attire, Cassie Chan looked every inch the normal teenager, but another look at those blank eyes and impassive mien, there was a tangible air of pain and anguish, of wisdom beyond her years, and of regret. She folded her arms tightly around her legs and gripped her forearms until her knuckles turned white as she remembered what happened nearly 3 months ago. She remembered her agony as Psycho Pink drained her powers, her panic as the Pink Galaxy Ranger breached the sound barrier for her Savage Sword, and her own screams as she tried to stop a friend from sacrificing herself. Kendrix died right in front of her eyes, died because of her incompetence, and died trying to save her.

'_It's all my fault, _I_ should be in her place, _I _should be dead. If it weren't for me she would still be alive, she and Leo might've already gotten together. It's all my fault…all my fault…all mine. I shouldn't be here right now, what am I doing here? I should be back on the Astro Megaship…'_ Cassie closed her eyes against the tears she could feel threatening to spill. She wanted to lock herself away… where she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone.

"Cassie? You okay?" It was her best friend and the Yellow Space Ranger, Ashley Hammond. Ashley's honey-flecked eyes reflected her concern. Cassie didn't need her pity, nor did she want to add to Ashley's problems.

"I'm fine, Ash," she replied softly, forcing a tight smile. Ashley was oblivious to her effort, so wrapped up in her own life. After returning to KO-35 from Earth, hers and Andros' relationship had slowly taken a more obvious downhill turn. Dressed in jean shorts, a yellow tank top, and white tennis shoes with her chestnut locks twisted back and clipped at the base of her neck, she was the walking definition of beauty. Male attention towards her reassured her that she looked nothing less than exotic. She had too much to worry about to dig deeper into her best friend's toneless answer. She thought about what she could wear to turn Andros' head at the party tonight. The sound of TJ's voice jolted her out of her musings, "Earth to Ashley."

"I am on Earth," she retorted, vaguely irritated at the Blue Space Ranger's bad timing.

"Then bring your brain back from space," Carlos said, handing her an ice cream cone. The Black Space Ranger plopped down on the grass. TJ joined him – until he sat on some ice cream that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"Andros, ice cream is meant to be smeared on the face, not on TJ's butt," Cassie scolded lightly, a hint of a sparkle back in her eyes to indicate her amusement. TJ mock-scowled.

"Sorry, but what's ice cream?" Andros quipped innocently. Cassie chuckled once. Reluctantly. The Red Space Ranger held out another ice cream cone, "I don't know what this is, but it's sweet, it'll cheer you up." Cassie didn't bother to correct him; he wouldn't understand, but for some strange reason she wanted to tell him it wasn't as simple as that, she didn't ever feel that way though. Andros knew she was still hurting, he knew how she felt. He sat on the other side of her, nudging her over lightly. It didn't take a genius to figure that one out.

"Are you coming with us to the party tonight, Cass?" She shook her head wearily.

"Why not, it'll be fun," Carlos added. She shook her head again, subdued.

"What party?" Andros asked; nobody said a word about to him before.

"One of Ashley's old friends is throwing a party tonight at her house," TJ answered. Andros frowned, "Oh, have fun then." Ashley turned her body to fully face him, "What are you talking about, I thought you agreed to come with me?" Andros sighed and looked away; Ashley had been trying to control him and picking fights lately, "You didn't tell me this earlier, Ashley, I told Alpha he could take the night off and I would work."

"Cassie's going to be on the Astro Megaship tonight, I'm sure she can handle the controls!" Ashley fired back. Cassie cut in before the Yellow Ranger lost her temper completely, "It's fine, Andros, you should go out with them, I can handle surveillance, if anything comes up you have your communicator." Ashley took on a haughty expression as if to say 'what do you have to say to that?' TJ and Carlos rolled their eyes at Ashley's childishness, "Ash, if Andros doesn't wanna go then leave him be."

"Stay out of this," she snapped angrily. Andros stood up and drew her away from the group, towards the railing by the sea. They got into a heated argument; Ashley, irrational and stubborn; Andros, calm and resigned. He knew this was long coming, in retrospect, he realized that he'd only thought he loved Ashley, her attractiveness was undeniable, but in concentrating on her physical appearance, he'd missed the apparent flaws in her personality, they couldn't suit. He also understood now that she wasn't drawn to him as himself, but as a female to a male. He didn't want to hurt her, but it seemed inevitable, "Ashley, I think we should break up." Her ineffectual rant cut off like a spigot, "What…"

"Things haven't been going well, and they're not gonna get better."

"We can work it out, what do you want me to do?! If you…"

"Ashley, we can't change the past, our getting involved was already a mistake."

"Don't be ridiculous, what we have is special, it's not a mistake, we can still make it work!" Ashley argued fervently, a slight edge creeping past her fury. Her cheeks were flushed and her manicured nails dug into her palms as her panic rose! He looked away tiredly, "Ashley, it was a mistake. A big one because you still have feelings for someone else." She fell silent and the guilt in her eyes; that was all he needed as confirmation. She stepped back from him, shaking her head confusedly, "I don't understand…No, you can't know…"

"I do know," there was no anger or bitterness in his voice, only calm matter-of-factness.

"And if I'm honest with myself, so do I," he added under his breath, a wistful note in his softened tone. Ashley didn't notice, he could tell she was trying to focus her guilt and direct it at him. Without another word, he turned on his heel and headed back towards the others.

He took Ashley's empty end of the bench at Cassie's feet, his dark, intelligent, toffee-colored orbs following her white sneakers up her canvas khakis to her lost expression with her chin resting on her knees. He'd long since stopped consciously counting the number of times he'd seen her on the simudeck, torturing herself with Kendrix's death over and over again, losing to Psycho Pink repeatedly like she did on Terra Venture. 587 times. That was just this month.

"Hey Teej, are you bringing Aisha tonight?" Carlos asked. TJ had started dating the Yellow Morphin Ranger a couple of weeks ago after running into her and Kimberly, the original Pink Ranger, at Jason's dojo. TJ shook his head; "Aisha had something planned with Kim tonight. What about you, are we finally gonna get to meet your mysterious girlfriend?" Carlos rolled his eyes, his head moving in a similar motion, "Man, I already told you, I'm not seeing anyone!"

"Uh-huh, I believe you," TJ replied condescendingly. Andros would have found the argument amusing if he hadn't been so worried about Cassie. She'd hardly smiled since they came back from Terra Venture and that worried him, his best friend hadn't been the same lively Cassie since they came back to Earth; he thought it would do her some good.

"Hey Cass, what do you think?" TJ asked, trying to bring a little life back into the girl he'd known since grade school and saw as a little sister. Cassie shrugged slowly, "I think Carlos just doesn't want us to embarrass him in front of her."

"Not you too," Carlos whined. He pretended to cast peeved glare in TJ's direction; as long as Cassie was teasing again, he didn't care that it was at his expense. Andros looked around; he saw families and couples lazing around under the shade of the trees. A little girl in a purple t-shirt and overalls ran ahead of her parents, a bundle of balloons trailed after, bobbing in the wind.

* * *

When the rangers teleported back to the Astro Megaship, Ashley immediately stormed off in a huff. Andros didn't bother changing out of his white t-shirt, red, button collar shirt and jeans, Cassie had dubbed them his school uniform, which he hadn't understood then, but now he realized she'd been making a crack at his too-serious-17-year-old complex. Cassie left for the simudeck, again. 588. TJ and Carlos went to check on the engines one last time before they headed back to their rooms to get ready for the party themselves. Andros went to the bridge and did a scan on Angel Grove out of habit. DECA's satellite zoned in on some kind of festival. Andros tilted his head slightly to one side and frowned, "Alpha, what is that?"

"That's a carnival, Andros," Alpha answered.

" Is a carnival similar to a festival back on KO-35?"

"Affirmative, Andros," DECA responded, "also called a fair, I have over three thousand…"

"Okay, DECA," Andros interrupted before DECA could drone on and muted her. He looked back at the viewing screen, "Odd, they're riding frozen animals being moved by some sort of revolving dish mechanism. Humans from Earth have the strangest fascinations."

"Ai-yai-yai-yai-yai, that is a Merry-Go-Round."

Andros said nothing, only continued watching the viewing screen.

A brilliant idea hit him, he didn't know if it would work, but it was worth a try. Maybe a little fun might cheer Cassie up. It took him a while to catch on, but then, everyone had their own strange quirks. He liked to watch alien movies from Earth, TJ and Carlos could clean out the food stock on a dare, Ashley would bang on whatever she could to make some sound when she thought it was too quiet, and Cassie, she liked to tease when things got tense. He missed her misplaced sense of humor.

* * *

Ashley was furious, he'd found out her secret, big deal, he was an insensitive pig to call her on it, and he had the gall to want to break up?! Well, she'd show him. Her room was now littered with clothes from her closet ranging from skimpy to downright indecent. She decided on the latter. A black mini leather mini-skirt and a sheer yellow tube-top that was nearly see-through and like a second skin that exposed too much of her body fulfilled her requirements. Painting her full lips a layer of shiny red gloss and lining her with a charcoal gray to create a smoky, sensual look; she applied a rich amount of blush to her well-defined cheekbones. Completing her outfit with a pair of black, three-inch stiletto boots that hugged her legs up to her knees, she was dressed to kill.

* * *

Cassie ignored the steady pounding in her head and the pain that wracked her abused body and charged at Psycho Pink for the nth time. And for the nth time, Psycho Pink laughed evilly and threw her back to the ground, sending Cassie's battered body sliding across the floor. The desert scene, Psycho Pink, and Kendrix disappeared. A hand appeared in front of her, she looked up and saw Andros. Her leader grasped her right hand firmly and pulled her to her feet. The wry look on his face suddenly made Cassie want to sink to the floor and cry her eyes out. That's exactly what happened. The tears poured out like two rivers. She felt Andros kneel next to her. His strong arms came around her shaking form.

"It's okay to cry, Cass. I know how much you've been hurting."

"No, you don't," Cassie sobbed.

"You forget that I've been 'in the same boat'. That is the right term isn't it?" Cassie choked on a laugh, "Ya, that's the right term."

"When Zhane…" He paused, grabbing for words, "I remember that day like it was yesterday. KO-35 was under heavy attack by Dark Specter. He sent down one of his monsters, and while I was securing some children, I made the mistake of turning my back on him. I heard Zhane shout and when I turned, I saw Zhane throwing himself into the monster's attack that was meant for me. Carrying him to the Astro Megaship and putting him in that cryogenic tube was the hardest thing I'd ever done, because deep in my heart I knew that he would probably die because of me. For the longest time I locked myself away and refused to say anything to anyone, all I wanted to do was curl up and die. After a while, I realized that that wouldn't do Zhane any justice and he wouldn't have wanted me to shut myself off, instead, I threw myself into finding Dark Specter's minions and destroying them. But from then on, I trusted no one, not even me.

"You taught me to trust again. When you faced Astronema so fearlessly and obstinately, the warrior in me found respect in you, the true me, found himself considering trusting again when you introduced yourself like a friend. You accepted so readily that there were other humans out there and that I wasn't ready to talk, wasn't ready for anything. It's okay to rely on people sometimes, even the strongest rock in the universe has its cracks. Cassie, you can talk to me, I'll understand. You trust me enough to cry in front of me; I'm your friend, and I'll always be here for you. As a leader, I don't want to lose a fine ranger. As a friend, I don't wanna lose the old Cassie." Cassie went limp in his embrace and cried harder, clenching fists of his shirt. Andros only held her tighter in response and let her vent.

Neither of them noticed a grimly relieved smile curve TJ's lips as he walked back to the bridge.


	2. Moving On

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own the Space rangers, Saban does!

Author's Note: Nothing, have fun! Actually, there is something; thank you to everyone who gave me a review, I appreciate it, but if the pairings bother some of you, I don't know what to say.

Strutting out into the bridge, Ashley swayed her hips provocatively like a model on a runway. She scowled when she noticed that the only people present were Carlos, TJ, and Alpha. Andros and Cassie were nowhere to be seen. Cassie was probably still moping around over Kendrix and Andros was most likely off with his nose buried in some machine he was building or trying to fix. She obstinately plopped into his chair and crossed her legs, refusing to care about TJ and Carlos' disapproving looks regarding her attire.

Andros walked in to said scene minutes later, barely sparing Ashley a second glance before setting his attention fully on the control panels and ran scans on the nearby planets. Ashley glared murderously at the side of Andros' face she could see; he totally just brushed right past her and didn't even comment on how she looked! He had the nerve to blow her off! She steamed at the ears and nearly blew a fuse when Andros continued to ignore her.

Andros knew Ashley was furious, but he couldn't bring himself to care; it wasn't his place to tell her what she could wear or what she should do, he wasn't her boyfriend anymore, and even if he still was, she would want to be the controlling one. He realized where he went wrong now, in choosing to get involved with her; relationships were defined between two people who could treat each other as equals and respect that balance.

"Andros, don't I look different tonight?" Ashley simpered in a viciously sweet tone. Andros made a noncommittal sound, preoccupied with sorting through his messages. He wished his sister were still here, Karone would have talked some reason into Ashley.

Actually, on second thought, Karone probably couldn't have changed Ashley's mind, but she would definitely help her brother distract Ashley. Karone had left for Terra Venture after Kendrix's spirit appeared to her and gave her the Savage Sword. He missed his sister; she and Cassie were always plotting together on something or another, whether it was another birthday party or another prank.

Ashley ground her teeth angrily and stomped off to teleport down to Earth, TJ and Carlos following at a more subdued pace after saying bye to Andros and Alpha. Andros nodded to the two guys. He played the message from Karone:

"_Hi, Andros, it's been too quiet lately, I'm beginning to worry. Trakeena hasn't made any big moves since Psycho Pink. I think she's up to something. How's Cassie? Is she doing better? I miss you both, but Mike and the others are doing their best to make me feel at home. It was so funny; the other day, Maya and I went for a walk in her favorite jungle area on Terra Venture. When we got there, we found Mike trying to pull Damon out of a tree; Damon fell headfirst into a big knot and got stuck with his legs up in the air. Mike's a great guy; he's been really nice to me. Leo misses Kendrix though, he tries to act happy, but I read his mind on accident when he found a picture of he and Kendrix. I know this has been hardest on Leo and Cassie, but I know Kendrix wouldn't have wanted that. Leo knows it too, so he's doing his best to live his life the way Kendrix would've. Give Cassie my love and tell her that Kendrix doesn't blame her. Tell the others I said hi, if things are awkward between you and Ashley, then I'll just talk to her when I get the time to send a transmission. Love you, bye."_

Karone's voice and laughter were music to Andros' ears; he smiled. His sister's bubbly nature was coming back out. When Karone had come back to live with them, she was so wracked with guilt over the whole Astronema thing. She saw the Savage Sword as a chance to redeem herself. He had to be more careful to shield his mind from her though; how did she know about Ashley? A month before no less. It didn't matter; his main concern right now was Cassie. She'd cried herself to sleep in his arms. He carried her to her room and tucked her in, careful not to wake her; he was well aware that she hadn't had a good night's sleep for months.

"I heard Karone's voice, is she back?" He turned his chair to the door. Cassie walked towards her chair and gave him a small smile, the first genuine one he'd seen in a long time. That made him very happy.

"No, she sent me a transmission and I was just going through it. She sends you her love and wanted me to tell you that Kendrix doesn't blame you," the pained look came back into her eyes. He sighed, but it had to be done because the first step to closure was acceptance.

"Cassie, Kendrix is already gone, you have to accept that, but you know as well as I do that she would hate what you've been doing to yourself. She doesn't want to blame you because she died in ranger duty. She died protecting those people on Terra Venture and died because of Trakeena and Psycho Pink. It wasn't you that killed her, who threw her over the cliff."

"It was all my fault, if I hadn't let Psycho Pink get a hold of my morpher, Kendrix wouldn't have risked her life to get her Savage Sword." He gently closed his hands around her shoulders and spun her to face him, "Cassie, remember what you said to TJ about me not understanding that what happened to one ranger happened to the whole team. Aren't you the same?"

"I am being a hypocrite aren't I?" She replied with a sad, wry smile.

"Hypocrite?"

"It means I'm someone who says one thing but does the opposite of what I say."

"Then, yes, you are a hypocrite."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Cassie retorted dryly, a gimlet of humor back in her voice. Andros grinned, "Hey, wanna go to the carnival tonight? I haven't been to a 'fair' before. Are they like the festivals on KO-35?"

"Yeah, they're pretty much the same, except there's more food at the festivals on KO-35. You haven't tried a hot dog yet, have you? We'll have to get you one later. And cotton candy."

"I thought cotton was a plant that Terrans used for cloth material." Andros blinked confusedly. Cassie burst into a peal of laughter, "Cotton candy isn't real cotton, it's just spun sugar that looks like cotton."

"And a hot dog? I don't think that's a domestic animal that's been heated up and stuffed in bread." Cassie started giggling, "No, it's definitely not a heated dog," she said. It felt good to laugh again. Andros was right; Kendrix wouldn't want her to sulk for the rest of her life.

"Thank you, Andros."

"For what?"

"For being there when I needed you, for not giving up on me even when I pushed everyone away, and for just being my friend." The sincere smile curving her lips and her solemn words told him that the real Cassie was on her way home, and that made him delirious with joy. He gave her a one-arm hug and left his arm slung across her shoulders, "You did the same for me, but you're welcome. And thank you for showing me that girls can be reasonable and practical too."

"Huh?"

"Don't ask."

"O-kay… Are we leaving now?" Dropping his arm from her shoulders, he nodded and set the coordinates for the woods a couple blocks from the fair and the two disappeared in two beams of pink and red.

* * *

Cassie and Andros came out of the teleportation beams and almost ran into a tree because it was so dark beneath the canopy of trees. Shafts of moonlight penetrated the blanket through small holes, not enough to light the path, but enough for them to find it. Andros grabbed Cassie's hand as they wove through the maze of shrubs. When they finally made it out, they were dusted with dry leaves. Laughing both brushed it off their clothes and simultaneously reached out to pick out the fragments in each other's hair. Andros dropped his hand for the moment and when Cassie was finished, he combed the pieces with his long, strong fingers.

They walked the short distance to the fair in a comfortable silence, the moon and stars giving Cassie a different kind of peace. Andros was only glad that Cassie was slowly but steadily recovering. She was accepting the truth and moving on, it was progress that he would take. The bright lights strung up around the tents and amusement rides reminded him of the tales his mother had told him and Karone when they were younger. She'd said that the lights they saw during the festival were really fairies joined by their tiny hands to form a long line. He was later told by one of the Consul elders that the dancing lights were dust from supernovas that was collected then suspended in air with telekinesis.

"Andros, are you thinking about your mom," it was a statement, not a question. He smiled; she knew him too well, "I remember Mom used to tell me and Karone that the lights around the festivals were fairies that held hands to dance with our music. Karone always tried to catch one of them, but it always seemed to disappear in her hands. She would cry and cry and cry, so I would tell her that the fairies had magic, they were born with pretty wings so that they could fly away, they wanted to be her friend though. She would stop crying and smile again."

"That's why you're so protective of Karone, because you felt like you failed her that day on KO-35. If it makes any difference, you're a great guy and I think you'd make a great dad someday."

An unbidden image floated through her mind: a little boy that was a miniature carbon copy of Andros was running towards her, smiling. She carefully shielded her mind like Andros and Zhane had taught them to. Her hormones playing havoc with her head.

The thought entirely disappeared when she saw and heard children playing and screaming with laughter. They bought a handful of tickets from the ticket booth. She grinned and dragged a laughing Andros towards the Ferris wheel.

Climbing into one of the slowly moving cars, they sat across from each other as the ride attendant shut and bolted the door. Cassie scooted closer to the window, pressing against it. She could see the entire Angel Grove city here. Andros felt glad that he'd made the right decision in bringing her here even as he thought about the stableness of this contraption and wondering if they'd end up having to reveal their ranger identities when the box fell and they had to morph to stay alive.

"Doesn't Angel Grove look beautiful from up here?"

"Yeah, it's not the same on the viewing screen."

"Andros, we are _not_ going to fall." He wasn't surprised she knew what he was thinking.

"I can't help that I'm paranoid."

"I promise we won't, there may have been a couple times when a car flew off the top, but it was only a couple times." He glared at her.

"Ha ha, you're such a comedian, I would laugh if I didn't actually believe you."

"Stop being such a worry wart, Andros. Be Andros, not the Red Astro Ranger, it's supposed to be our night off so give yourself a break."

"They're the same person."

"No, Andros can be a good little boy and stop arguing and the fearless warrior has a head as hard as his helmet."

"This is ridiculous." Their argument ended as the door opened and they hopped out. Cassie spotted a hot dog stand and positively crowed. She ordered two hot dogs with everything on it and showed Andros how to add the ketchup and mustard. The bottle was pretty empty though, so when Cassie squeezed, a small dash flew onto Andros' cheek. He retaliated by picking up the bottle of ketchup and returning the favor as he caught her easily. They finally got the ketchup and mustard on their food and ate ravenously. Andros started out a little awkwardly, biting down and getting some sauce on the tip of his nose. Cassie laughed while she helped him wipe the red and yellow dot off.

After eating, Cassie dragged Andros around into the House of Mirrors, the roller coaster, the Leap Frog, and the Wheelie. She located the cotton candy cart and got two, one blue and one pink and showed him how to bite into it; He didn't have as many incidences with the candy. He decided he rather liked how it melted instantly when he put it in his mouth, like dry, fluffy ice cream. The last thing they did before they returned to the Astro Megaship was face painting. It was more of a contest to see how many colors they could get on each other. Andros actually won that round. He promised Cassie a rematch some other day.

Walking back to the woods, he couldn't help but feel like they'd been watched all night.

* * *

The red light clicked off the minute Andros looked up.

* * *

Andros washed his face as soon as he got back to his room and bid Cassie goodnight. He turned to one of DECA's many cameras: the red light was on. He frowned suspiciously and walked out to the bridge, the main light was off.

"DECA, were you spying on me?"

"No, Andros, the satellite picked up a video." He looked: Andros' first Carnival.


	3. Surprise

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot – or lack thereof. So, you can't sue me!

Author's Note: First off, I apologize for not updating in so long, my computer was acting up. Secondly, I would like to thank those who took the time to read and were kind enough to leave a review, thank you very much. I hope you enjoy this chapter, read and review please!

* * *

Cassie hugged her knees as she watched the earthrise from her bed, her blanket covering her legs. She couldn't sleep again, which wasn't all that surprising. She no longer felt as at odds with herself though, for the first time in months, she felt _happy_ again. She heard someone teleport in. Looking at the alarm clock beside her bed, the glowing numbers read 12:17. She unfurled the blanket and swung her legs over the edge of her bed, wiggling her feet into her pink slippers. Slipping out of her room quietly, she carefully tiptoed onto the bridge into the main control room. Someone was sitting in Zhane's chair; it couldn't be Alpha or Andros.

"What?! Andros has fun for the first time and I missed it?! That's not fair!!" Cassie nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden exclamation.

"Zhane!" Cassie reprimanded. Startled, Zhane fell out of his chair. Cassie couldn't help it, she laughed at that. Someone behind her apparently had the same idea. She turned around to find Andros leaning on the doorway, doubled over laughing. Zhane glared at the two of them indignantly as he scrambled to his feet, "That wasn't funny." Andros and Cassie sobered, "You're right, it wasn't funny. It was hilarious." They both burst out laughing again. Zhane wanted to be peeved at both of them, but couldn't bring himself to actually bring himself to get annoyed. Both Cassie and Andros deserved a break, even if it _was_ at his expense.

* * *

They finally settled in the recreation room in the comfortable beanbag chairs TJ and Carlos had insisted on – for playing games. Each had a cool cup of milk as they plunked down in their designated beanbags.

"What were yelling about earlier, Zhane?"

"You and you!" Zhane said, pointing at the two of them, "That is _so_ unfair. I leave for an peace conference on KO-35 and miss all the fun!"

"Life isn't fair," Cassie pointed out teasingly. Andros was glad, Cassie was finally coming back!

"So did you have fun at the meeting?" Zhane scowled, "Does that answer your question." Andros chuckled, "You have only yourself to blame." Zhane muttered darkly under his breath. Cassie suspected Zhane might've used telekinesis to tip Andros' cup of milk all over him if Andros weren't stronger in that aspect.

"How are you and Ashley doing?"

"What would you expect?" Andros heaved a sigh, "You saw it yourself, last time on KO-35. She's not willing to compromise. I don't think that's a word that exists in her vocabulary."

"Is that why you told me not to ask?" Andros nodded, "That argument about tonight's party was the final 'straw that broke the camel's back' – is that right?" Cassie nodded, not bothering to correct him on wordiness. Andros continued, "We broke up." He shrugged. Zhane gulped his milk down, "Can't say I didn't see it coming."

"You're an insensitive pig, you know that." Andros let out a wry laugh.

* * *

Andros herded Cassie off to bed and was about to do the same to Zhane when Zhane asked, "Why didn't you tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Zhane, she only sees me as a friend, besides she's just getting over Kendrix's death, she doesn't need me to upset that delicate balance."

"How do you know? You've asked her?"

"Sorry, what were you talking about?"

"Andros, I've been your best friend since we were kids, I know you better than I know myself, don't play ignorance, it doesn't suit you. Do you need me to spell it out for you?"

"Spell what out?"

"You knew from the minute you met Ashley that she wasn't your bond mate, when you two started dating you knew for sure that something was wrong. The only problem is that you still weren't ready for that kind of trust and so you turned to Ashley because you knew it wouldn't work out. That way you safely avoided having to bond and at the same time you could say you tried."

"There are times when I wish I could hate you." Zhane grinned, "Ah, but you can't."

"Oh, shut up."

"So are you gonna tell her?"

"No."

"You know the Bond's gonna activate as soon as you come of age, right?" Andros said nothing.

* * *

Even as Cassie scooted back into bed, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Andros and Zhane were hiding something from her.

* * *

Ashley, TJ, and Carlos finally teleported back to the Astro Megaship at 3 in the morning. Ashley was completely out of it, mumbling incoherently and giggling.

"Carlos, just how much punch did she have?"

"Apparently enough to scramble her common sense," Andros answered before Carlos could.

"Wow, she has common sense, how come I didn't know that?" Zhane quipped as he glared at them for interrupting his sleep. Andros put his finger to his lips, "Shh, Cassie's still sleeping." Ashley, oblivious to her surroundings, couldn't even control her own feet, much less her voice. She flung her arms around as she sang the Power Ranger theme song at the top of her lungs, out of tune and offbeat. Andros palmed his forehead in a grimace right before Cassie came out onto the bridge, rubbing her eyes blearily.

"Looks like somebody spiked the punch a little more than necessary."

"No kidding, she was even worse at the party, she would've started dancing on the table if Carlos hadn't been there to drag her off," TJ groused, irritated from tiredness. Cassie and Zhane winced in sympathy as Andros cringed at the thought. Carlos looked ready to collapse on his bed and sleep like the dead, TJ had already fallen asleep – upright, albeit swaying on his feet, and snoring softly. Zhane put his hands on the Blue Ranger's shoulders and shook him as hard as he could. TJ jerked awake and Zhane returned to his wall where he had been slumped. TJ looked around and scoffed in a way that said 'forget you' and trudged to his room, promptly collapsing on the pile of junk he had, piled on the floor. Zhane left for his own bed and left Andros, Cassie, and Carlos to deal with a delirious Ashley. Carlos shook his head, "So much for their help." Cassie smiled wryly. Together, the three of them managed to get Ashley safely to her room and tucked into bed before they, too, retired for the night.

* * *

Andros woke up early the next morning and headed to the simudeck after answering nature's call and taking care of hygiene.

"I thought I was up early, apparently I was wrong." Cassie looked over her shoulder to see her leader leaning in the doorway, arms crossed. She shrugged lightly, "Just thought I'd try a different scene for once." Indeed, the simudeck wasn't of the Psycho Pink scene anymore, but of a basketball court. Andros grabbed the ball and dribbled onto the court, "You up for a game, or are you getting old?" In answer to that, Cassie ran at him and stole the ball before sticking her tongue out at him, "Now who's getting old?"

"You," he answered, tossing the basketball into the hoop without looking back.

"Showoff," Cassie muttered. The Pink and Red Rangers played for another half an hour after which they went back to their rooms to shower and change. When they were finished, it was near noon on Earth. Cassie was dressed in a pink t-shirt and torn blue jean capris. Andros was in his usual jeans, white undershirt, and red button-down shirt. Cassie stuck her head into TJ's room, "Hey guys, wanna go to Ernie's for lunch?" Zhane jumped out of bed at the mention of food and raced Carlos and TJ to the bathroom. Cassie and Andros laughed, "Should we see if Ashley wants anything?" Andros shook his head, "Do you think she'd be up at this time?"

"I guess you're right," Cassie admitted.

"I'm always right."

She swatted at his head.

* * *

Zhane found Andros and Cassie in the Control Room, Andros joking around that had Cassie attacking him even if she couldn't help but laugh. Zhane went with his silver t-shirt and khakis, "Ah, look at you two, so cute." Andros chucked a book at him that he barely ducked, "Tsk, tsk, that's not very nice."

"It would have more effective if the book I chucked at you wasn't a paperback that weighs less than my necklace," Andros retorted dryly. The viewing screen beeped twice. Andros reached over and tapped a couple buttons. Karone's face popped up.

"Karone!" TJ and Carlos shouted as they ran to get closer. Karone giggled, "Hi guys. Hey Cassie, I think there's someone you wanna see." Cassie frowned confusedly. Karone smiled and beckoned to someone off-screen.

"Kendrix!" The original Pink Galaxy Ranger stood in front of them, as solid as Karone was. Cassie didn't know how to react. A grin bloomed on her face. Kendrix laughed, "It's good to be back." The Galaxy Rangers explained that when the Quasar Sabers returned to the stone, the village came back to like form their statue-like imprisonment and Kendrix rematerialized, as good as new.

"See, Cassie, I told you it would be okay," Andros said. Cassie wrinkled her nose at him. Kendrix and Karone chuckled.

"I'm glad you're back, and I know that someone in particular is especially relieved." Karone grinned at Kendrix to add to Cassie's not so subtle hint. Kendrix couldn't hide the pink tinting her cheeks, "…".

The five teenagers headed to _Surfspot_ and sat at their usual table. Ernie came over to them, "I was beginning to wonder where you kids were." They grinned at him, ordering the usual: fries, sandwiches, and shakes. When Ernie left them to get their food, Carlos headed to the pool table where a couple of other people were already playing. Zhane sent Andros a look that he pointedly ignored.

"The clear skies after the storm." Everyone agreed.

"I'm just happy that she's okay." TJ squeezed Cassie's shoulder comfortingly.

"Let's just hope that this time Leo doesn't wait till she disappears to tell her he likes her," Zhane commented. Andros nodded, "I don't think he will. He was most definitely in the room when Cassie gave him 'a nudge in the right direction'?" Cassie smirked as she gave him a thumbs-up, "If he didn't get that, he's even more clueless than Carlos."

"Hey, I resent that!"

"Wow, he actually heard that, miracle," Cassie teased.

* * *

"So, Andros, did Karone say when she was coming back?" Zhane almost choked on his shake when Carlos asked. Cassie and Andros hid their grins while Andros answered, "Nope, she didn't say."

"I think someone might not want her to leave," Cassie added, watching Zhane carefully.

"Who?" Carlos asked. Cassie took her time as she watched the tension tighten Zhane's hold on his glass and shrugged, "Just saying, besides the Galaxy Rangers have become her close friends." Andros almost burst out laughing at the murderous look on Zhane's face.

"_Don't. That's completely suicidal."_ Cassie's voice said in the back of his head.

"_It was a brilliant idea to egg him on though."_ He thought back, shielding his panic and surprise.

"_I don't think Mike will appreciate being used as bait too much."_

"_My sister has more control over Zhane than his parents did, he wouldn't do anything to risk that."_

"_True, she probably misses him too."_

"_She does."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_She's my sister, save for the last message and the transmission earlier, all the other ones mentioned Zhane."_

"_Do we need to help them along?"_

"_I hope not."_

* * *

Zhane gave Andros a smug look when they left _Surfspot_, "I told you so."


	4. Advice

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own PRiS nor do I own Andros or Cassie, I only own the plot, or lack thereof.

Author's Note: I'm sorry about the late update, I've been terribly busy because of my stupid science teacher who needs to learn how to assign homework periodically instead of telling us at the last minute! Dumb-butt. Anyway, read and review please!

* * *

Ashley woke up to a throbbing head and swimming room, her ears buzzing unpleasantly. Her mouth felt like she'd swallowed a handful of sand and her legs wobbled under her weight. A piece of paper stuck out from under her alarm clock; snatching at it irritatingly, she had to read the words scrawled over it three more times for her addled brain to understand what the letter was talking about. She groaned, recalling last night. She couldn't remember if she'd done anything stupid last night or blurted out something she shouldn't have.

She hoped not.

Dragging herself to the bathroom, she slammed the door behind her and splashed her face with cold water, she'd been pissed off yesterday and she knew she'd overreacted. Andros just knocked her off her rocker though when he'd found her out. She thought about it all last night before she'd gotten completely washed and realized that what she did had been very selfish and completely unfair to Andros. She knew she'd been a witch to their leader in the past few months since they'd been dating and cringed, she promised herself that she would apologize to him the next time she got the chance.

* * *

Cassie was very confused; the moment they'd left _Surfspot_ Zhane had had that smug grin on his face and it had yet to abate.

"_What_ are you grinning about?"

"Nothing," Zhane replied cheekily. Andros glared at him, _"Shut up and stop being so smug."_ Zhane replied with an innocent smile. Cassie could only shake her head at her strange friends.

* * *

"Ashley?" Carlos called out to the yellow ranger, ignoring Cassie's attempts to keep him quiet.

"In the bridge," she called back to them. Swinging around in her chair, Ashley looked almost back to normal if not for her bloodshot eyes. Dressed in a yellow hoodie and gray sweats, her face scrubbed clean, and hair pulled back into a ponytail, Ashley seemed to have gotten over her little temper tantrum. Cassie smiled cheerfully and handed Ashley her food. Ashley frowned in slight confusion.

"We got a telecom transmission from Karone today, they beat Trakeena and Kendrix came back," Carlos explained. A genuine grin bloomed on the Yellow Ranger's face, "That's great!" Andros breathed a sigh of relief that the Ashley he first met was back and they could finally go back to normal.

"This calls for a celebration," Ashley proposed enthusiastically. They all cheered in agreement and Carlos, TJ, and Zhane herded Cassie out first, Andros and Ashley trailing behind. Ashley tapped her leader on the shoulder, "Could I talk to you for a second?" Somewhat apprehensively, Andros nodded, "Sure."

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time these few months, especially yesterday. I guess I've just been trying so hard to keep everything under control that I didn't realize there were some things that you just can't control."

"It's okay."

"I just wanted to make sure everything's all right between us."

"It is, and it was my fault too. We'll both learn from this mistake." Andros said. Ashley nodded with a smile and they joined the rest of their friends at the deck. Cassie smiled, knowing that her best friend was back and everything was well again.

* * *

Ashley plopped down on the log-bench, watching her secret crush dance and laugh with her other friends. They were on earth at a campsite, a fire blazing in the middle, music playing softly.

"You could tell him, you know."

"Tell who what?"

"Ashley, how long have I been your best friend?"

"Cassie…" Ashley didn't know what the pink ranger wanted from her.

"Ashley, I'm willing to admit that when you first told me you liked Andros, I was surprised, I was always under the impression that you harbored a secret love for Carlos. It wasn't until I saw you and Andros together that it occurred to me you were trying to give up, trying so hard that you were making yourself miserable even when you were trying to look happy. There wasn't that glow when you were with Andros." Cassie sighed, "Stop being so stubborn, you already wasted all those years, at least make something count." She stood and joined Kimberly by the food to leave Ashley to her thoughts. The former pink ranger was well into her mid-thirties by now, but she still looked as vibrant and cheerful as she'd always been. The only catch: she had kids! Billy, everyone's favorite blue ranger had become homesick and returned to Earth, back to normal, and was chatting with Adam. It was a ranger reunion and the only one missing was the resident legendary ranger: Tommy Oliver.

"Hey, Cassie." Kimberly greeted.

"Hey, why aren't you joining in the fun?" Kimberly kept her eyes on the group dancing around the campfire, on the two little kids in particular.

"Just thinking about Kylie and Ben in their little cribs. Kids grow up way too fast."

"Does Tommy know?"

"Why, aren't you the perceptive one tonight." Though sarcastic, Cassie knew Kim only used that caustic tone when she was feeling vulnerable.

"I am, it must be the full moon, gives me that extra boost," Cassie quipped. Kimberly laughed.

"_Does_ Tommy know?" Kimberly feigned confusion, "Know what? That I'm here?"

"That he has kids." Cassie wasn't always prone to be blunt, but she would be when the time called for. Kimberly kept her gaze on the little boy and girl, "Nope."

"Why not?" Kat asked, joining the conversation.

"Didn't your parents teach you it's rude to eavesdrop?" Kimberly teased.

"Is it because of me?" Kat's tone remained grim and somber.

"No, it is not, get that idea out of your head now."

Kimberly patted the log on her other side, Kat settled next to her, "I had Kylie and Ben long before you two started dating, if I'd wanted to tell Tommy I would have, a lot sooner too." Kat still didn't look convinced. Kim huffed exasperatedly with an eye-roll for emphasis, "That ship sailed a long time ago."

"No it didn't," Kat and Cassie intoned simultaneously. Kimberly rolled her eyes again, "Yes, it did. Besides if I wanted to tell him I would have told him years ago when you and Jason were officially dating."

"But…"

"No buts, just take care of Jason, and that'll make me happy, he's like an older brother to me."

"Ouch, that hurt Kim."

"I forgot, don't let my pigheaded, klutzy brother anywhere near the kitchen, you may not have a home left if you do." Kimberly added with a mischievous glint in her eye and an evil grin. The former red ranger in question looked offended and took on a mock-enraged air, "I am the kids' favorite uncle, you know, at least show some respect."

"Actually, I think Billy claimed that title before the twins were born and they're backing him on it." Indeed Kylie and Ben were tussling around with Billy over by the tents and laughing gleefully.

"We'll see about that," Jason said and playfully swaggered over to the trio. Kimberly and Kat doubled over laughing at the absurdity of the situation. Cassie smiled, knowing that that had been Jason's intention: he wanted to make Kat happy again even though he wasn't sure what had made his fiancée so sad in the first place.

"Enough about me, how are things going with you, Cassie?"

"A lot better," Cassie grinned, happy that Kendrix was perfectly fine now.

"What Kim meant was how are things going with Andros?" Kat clarified.

"What do you mean? He's been a really supportive friend."

"I love paradoxes, don't you?" Kim asked Kat.

"I do, they are always so entertaining," Kat agreed. Cassie's reply to the exchange was a puzzled frown. Kimberly took on a patronizing tone, "Silly dear, it means the guy's in love with you."

"As you are with him."

"Ok, that's just crazy, 1) he sees me as a friend only, 2) wouldn't I be able to tell if I had fallen in love with Andros, and 3) the idea is just ludicrous."

Kat and Kimberly simply raised their eyebrows at her skepticism and denial. Oh, shoot. The Cheshire-catlike grins appeared on her friends' faces, "No, this is not happening."

"I think you already knew though."

"Mm-hmm, you just didn't want to believe it."

"So what?"

"So you should tell him," Ashley interrupted with a cocky smirk, "That's what you told me to do."

"Which, I might point out, I've said to Kim and you, but neither of you have done anything, Kat's never needed to say anything, so the point is moot. Besides, easier said than done."

"What are you so afraid of? The man loves you."

"No, he does not." Cassie hissed quietly, checking to make sure Andros was well out of earshot.

"How do you know?"

"That's not the point."

"Yes it is, you're in love with each other."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, you are."

"Okay, fine, I admit it, I'm in love with him, happy."


	5. Wishes

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot, Kylie, and Ben.

Author's Note: I'm _very _sorry about the late update, but I've had writer's block for so long, I just couldn't finish this. I think I'm going to end up starting a series, but I haven't decided whose story I want to write next: Kendrix, Dana, Alyssa, or Rose. Kimberly's will probably be the last installment, I don't know yet. Anyway, read and review, and if you guys have suggestions just leave a message, thanks! Enjoy the last chapter!  


* * *

Andros looked over to where Cassie was happily chatting and laughing with Kim, Kat, and Ashley and smiled a little easier. It'd been a long time since he'd seen her happy, her smiles genuine and open. A smack upside the head brought his attention back to his best friend since childhood. Andros glared at Zhane and used telekinesis to steal his little sister's cup of ice water to dump over Zhane's head. That wiped the smirk off Zhane's face. Karone giggled and Zhane turned beet red, though Karone couldn't see his face.

"_That'll teach you."_ Still glaring at Zhane, he was debating about whether or not he should tease Zhane about Karone right in front of his little sister when something else caught his attention. He looked up at the bright lights streaking across the night sky. He tensed, having only seen a similar occurrence when his home planet had been under attack.

"Relax; it's just a meteor shower." Cassie stood at his side, looking up at the midnight blue sky in peace. She hadn't seen shooting stars since she'd been a little girl. Not for the first time since her parents died, she was transported back to her childhood, and as she looked at her friends, she knew they too were thinking about the past, well, save for the 3 Karovans. All the rangers looked up at the miracle in awe. TJ, Carlos, and Ashley were staring, enraptured. She'd seen meteors in space, but it just wasn't the same as being back home. She smiled as Zhane and Karone tilted their heads up to stargaze too. It seemed Karone and Zhane had no problem adjusting to the absence of evil but Andros still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he didn't have to fight anymore. He didn't look all too convinced. She chuckled and nudged him playfully. He sighed and rolled his eyes, knowing she was going to tease him about being this uptight for whiles to come. He gave in and huffed a smile at her.

She grinned happily and leaned against him.

Andros didn't really think about it as he slung his arm around his best friend's shoulders, quite comfortably as she subconsciously leaned closer and wrapped her own around his waist, both looking up at the beautiful spectacle.

* * *

Ashley smiled and had to stifle her giggles as she elbowed Kimberly, or who she thought was supposed to be Kimberly.

"Hey, what was that for?!"

Ashley barely refrained from jumping out of her skin at Carlos' voice. She looked over at him to find that Kat and Kim had scooted further along, both of them smirking smugly. She glared at them, and Carlos.

"That should teach you not to sneak up on me," she huffed, her heart still beating nervously and the butterflies still fluttering excitedly in her stomach. She hoped she wasn't blushing and prayed that if she was, it would be too dark or Carlos would be too preoccupied to notice.

"Are you feeling okay, Ash? Your face is all red." No such luck. She cursed her rotten luck and wondered how much of her excuse he would believe. Not much, she decided, she thought of what Cassie said and opted for the truth. She used her best friend's tactics and said jokingly, "You made me blush, I have a horrible crush on you; didn't you know?" Hoping she 'd done a successful imitation of Cassie's flippant tone, she gauged his reaction, surprised when he smiled gently, not the smirk she'd expect from a preening male, and replied, "Of course I knew, you're just a little slow when it comes to me."

She wasn't sure if he was boasting or if that was a hidden confession like hers.

He sensed her hesitance and tugged her along towards the shelter of the trees. She laughed as she went along, trying to hide her confusion, "Carlos, where are dragging me?!"

"Somewhere quiet," he replied simply. She spluttered, "It's very quiet, what are you talking about?"

"Actually, that was just an excuse."

"An excuse to do what?" Ashley asked, utterly perplexed.

"This." Carlos leaned down to kiss her lightly on the cheek. This time she was fairly certain she was glowing her face was so red.

"I told you, you're a little slow when it comes to me." Ashley finally brought her eyes up to meet the man of her dreams and hoped she wasn't hallucinating when she saw the love she felt for him mirrored in his own eyes. He grinned at her and gave her another kiss before hugging her tightly. She smiled at him and shyly reached down to thread her fingers through his.

* * *

Cassie saw Ashley and Carlos kiss and silently cheered for her best friend, _'Yeah, you go girl! Now if I could just muster up the courage to take my own advice,'_ she thought despairingly. She suddenly remembered that Andros had telepathy and if he picked up on her distress, he'd probably try to figure out what was wrong. Which was a problem; a big one. She smiled as the meteor shower continued, the meteors like falling stars. She closed her eyes and made a wish.

"Cassie?"

"Shh, I'm making a wish." She opened her eyes and grinned at him, "It's tradition, you're supposed to wish on falling stars."

"But those are space rocks, meteors, stars don't fall," Andros argued stubbornly.

"Maybe not literally, but that's what they call poetry, now make a wish." He obediently did as told.

* * *

Kimberly watched Cassie and Andros and wondered what it would take for them to admit their feelings. She hadn't noticed a slight, wistful smile had appeared on her lips.

"Cassie's right; you still miss Tommy, don't you?" Kat commented quietly. Kimberly shrugged; it was pointless to deny because she _did_ miss her white knight in shining armor, "Yeah, but then I never denied it did I?" She looked at Kat, honestly looked, and understood why Tommy had chosen the beautiful woman, "I was jealous of you once, I'm not ashamed to admit that. But I'm glad you chose Jason, you've made him happier than ever and I quite like the permanent smile on his face nowadays. You know that he wouldn't have hurt you even when we were under Maligore's spell, right? I think the monster fed on my jealousy towards you then, and Jason's." Kat frowned, confused. Kimberly smiled, "Jason loved you even then, even though he didn't know it, that's why when he saw you with Tommy, he suddenly had this overwhelming urge to kill one of his best friends."

"I know he wouldn't have hurt me, just like you wouldn't have. You say you were jealous, that only shows how much you love Tommy."

"Loved," Kimberly corrected, "past tense." Kat shook her head, "Love, because no matter how many times you try to deny it or tell yourself you don't love him, you know you're lying to yourself. You loved him then and you love him now." At Kimberly's droll stare, Kat chuckled, "Cassie's not the only one who can read between lines."

"Yeah, yeah, you two are just picking on me now."

"I'm sure Billy would agree."

"I do," said Blue Ranger answered. From behind the two women. Kimberly whirled around and nearly fell off her log.

"Billy Stanton, I swear if killing wouldn't make my babies cry I would do it." She patted herself, as if to calm her racing heart, "You scared the living daylights out of me."

"Tommy will put the daylight back in you, then you'll be glowing like a light bulb."

"Like Rudolph's nose?!" Kylie and Benjamin Oliver hurled themselves at their mother, giggling madly at the image of their mother glowing like the legendary red nose reindeer. Billy chuckled, wondering how Kimberley was going to get out of this. The little boy and little girl, like any 8-year-old, were precocious and curious, almost to the point of being troublemakers. Just like Tommy had been. Kimberly couldn't bring herself to be annoyed at her friends when her adorable children were so happy with their honorary aunts and uncles. She smirked evilly back at Billy, "Yes, this coming from the man who can't even string a sentence together in front of a certain elementary teacher." Billy turned into a ripe tomato and stuttered, trying to come up with a response.

"A teacher? Like Ms. Fox?" Kylie inquired innocently.

She'd unknowingly nailing her Uncle Billy's longtime crush. Billy blushed deeper. Kat grinned, "Really, who is Ms. Fox."

"She's our teacher," Ben said, "she's really nice and really smart, like Mommy."

"She's got really pretty hair, like Rapunzel," Kylie added, not wanting to be left out. Kimberly bit back the laughter threatening to spill over at any second. Billy mumbled something about getting something to eat and escaped before Kimberly could embarrass him anymore. Kylie and Ben scampered off after him, tummies growling loudly.

"Whose that now?" Kat asked, thoroughly intrigued.

"Jane Fox, she teaches math at the elementary school Kylie and Ben go to. Billy's had the worst crush on her since he took my place to go to Kylie and Ben's parent teacher conference when I was sick. She's almost Billy's opposite, Kat, but I think they'd be really cute together."

"Are you trying to play matchmaker, Kim, that's rather dangerous."

"Hey, just a little nudge, it wouldn't hurt anyone. Besides, Kylie and Ben are doing well enough, insisting Billy attend their field trips so he can talk to her." Kat laughed, "Like mother like daughter and like father like son." Kimberly widened her eyes playfully, "Hey, that's not fair, comparing my matchmaking skills to Tommy's is an insult!" Kat and Kim laughed as Kat's eyes traveled around the campsite and lingered on Ashley and Carlos, then Cassie and Andros, "I hope things work out for her, Cassie's a wonderful girl, she deserves some happiness."

"Things will work out; my gut tells me Andros agrees with you 100%."

* * *

As it turned out, Andros did agree, he just didn't know how to bring that happiness about. After that little mental conversation a few days ago, he'd been very careful to shield his mind.

"What'd you wish for?" Andros asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Can't tell you or it won't come true," Cassie replied playfully.

"Oh, come on, I'll tell you if you tell me."

"Unh unh." She shook her head firmly, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Andros pouted; she was the only one who had ever or would ever see him like this. She grinned, "All right, I'll tell you if you tell me."

"That you would be happy forever," he answered promptly, pulling her closer then whispering into her ear, "that I would be able to see you happy for the rest of our lives." She smiled sweetly against his shoulder and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, "You must have read my mind; I wished for the same." He grinned happily, pressing their foreheads together, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *


End file.
